Windrider
by ShinAyasaki
Summary: A simple girl goes about living her simple life. Then the sky comes crashing down...


**AN: 9-19-2016; So this is a revised version of the original story. The ending doesn't change, there's just a bit more added to it. **

Rays of warmth flooded down upon grassy fields, the sun shining brilliantly amidst an otherwise vacant sky. The birds sang a cheery tune, the chirps of cardinals and bluebirds filling the air as a cool breeze sailed across the plains. On the outskirts of a small village stood a single house camped amidst a field of green, next to a small babbling brook that ran to the east. Outside of the house was the sole inhabitant, a pink-haired young woman in a patched dress and leather shoes, a basket in her arms as she plucked away at a small patch of flowers that grew near the water. She gently inhaled the scent of lilac, a smile appearing as she appreciated the fresh flowery scent. Placing the flower in her basket, she stood, taking her time as she went back into her house to work on sewing an order of garments for some of her neighbors in the village. It was a simple life for a simple girl, but the tranquility suited her.

But this simple girl was about to receive a gift from above, one that would shatter her everyday peace. For soon, the sky filled with a dreadful screaming. The girl rushed outside to see what the noise was, gasping in surprise as her eyes beheld a malformed mass of metal hurtling from the air towards the ground, a trail of smoke behind it. She was frozen in shock as the thing crashed into her field, digging a deep rut as it veered towards her, seemingly intent on smashing into her and her home. But the cosmos had always smiled upon her, and the thing stopped before it could get too far, a scant dozen meters from her feet. It still smoked terribly, and all sorts of metal components and contraptions littered the ground beneath its descent, landing among earthen rubble. The girl blinked, before she dashed over to help.

As she approached the wreck, she came to a stop. She knew nothing of these machines; not what it was nor how to stop the smoke. The idea of doing anything to the thing was a daunting prospect for her, but before she could dwell on it further, a hatch opened from above, creating a new aperture for the smoke, and she heard coughing as a figure pulled itself from the wreckage. She watched in fascination as the person dropped to the ground and surveyed the thing before them. She could see the person was a woman, wearing a leather jacket over heavy wool, donning a similar manner of pants and a helmet complete with goggled eyewear. Her hair was dark, and her clothes featured black streaks and scores, but perhaps that was due to the crash. The woman whistled as she finished her survey of the damage before beginning to speak.

"Well, that could have gone better." She turned, noticing the local for the first time. "Hello there!" she greeted, smiling brightly. "Sorry to impose on you, but do you mind if I stay in your field for a bit? It's only until I can get this tin can," she paused to kick the metal thing with reinforced boots, "Up and running."

The simple girl blinked, first looking to the smoking wreck, then to the smile brimming at her. "Sure," she said, very uncertain as to what was going on. "Um, what happened? Do you need any help?"

The aviatrix chuckled at the girl's confused face, taking pleasure in her single-minded desire to assist. "Well, I was just on my way to the big city when a gasket blew. Or rather, I think that's what happened. It's hard to tell with a cursory glance. But no, I think I can handle this on my own. Thank you for offering though."

"I…see…" replied the girl, but it was clear that she really didn't.

"You don't have to worry about me. I've been doing this ever since I could walk! Or I guess, ever since I could fly, rather. I'll have this fixed up and out of your way within the week. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully."

The girl blinked. "Oh… Well, would you like some tea?"

"That'd be lovely! If it's not an imposition, of course."

The girl shook her head. "No it's not. I insist."

"Well, I can't say no to that. I'm Yukari, by the way."

"Ia."

* * *

The two of them sat at a table, courteously brought out into the field next to Yukari's metal thing by Ia, sipping tea from ceramic cups and watching the birds fly by.

"So what exactly is this thing?" asked Ia, eyeing the wreck.

"This," said Yukari, gesturing, "Is an Aerodynamic All-Encapsulated Single-Occupant Heavier-Than-Air Flight Actuator! But I suppose most people just call it a Dragonfly. I never really understood why. The principles of flight are vastly different from a dragonfly's, and it doesn't even look like one." She shrugged. "Go figure."

"How does it work?" asked Ia, in wonder of the important sounding name.

"Now that's a rather involved question. I could answer it, but we'd probably be here for a month or two while I went through the basics."

"Oh…" Ia said, wilting.

Yukari frowned. She didn't want to make Ia sad. "But I guess the underlying principle is that it runs on science and steam," she offered. "Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

Ia pursed her lips and hummed in thought. Such a machine sounded amazing! She thought about the last time something sensational had been shown off at the village, something that involved plenty of steam and steel. She'd been awed by the sight, and that hadn't even flown in the air! "I suppose it does, yes. Thank you for the answer."

"Of course…"

The pair sipped their tea in silence, before another question popped out.

"How did you get it?"

Yukari reached over for one of the macaroons Ia had so graciously prepared for them, popping it into her mouth. She savored the taste of home baked goods before answering. "I'm a windrider. It's part of the job."

"A windrider?" Ia's eyes lit up at the name. It sounded so interesting!

"Yeah! You haven't heard of the windriders before?" Ia shook her head furiously in the negative. Yukari smiled at the adorable action. "Well, windriders are people like me, who fly in things like that," she said pointing to her Dragonfly, "To deliver messages and other parcels to various locations around the world. We're like mail carriers, but since we travel by air, it's a lot faster!"

"Wow… You've been around the entire world?"

"Maybe not the entire world, but I've seen quite a lot of it. For example, I was in the floating isles a few weeks ago."

"Really?!" Ia's eyes shone with awe, sparkling with delight at the mention of those far off dots on the horizon.

"Yep! They're spectacularly beautiful! Even more so when you can fly through their famous waterfalls."

"Amazing…" breathed Ia, imagining it. The Floating Falls were said to be a gorgeous sight from the coastline beneath, but to actually pass through them in midair without getting wet was near miraculous.

"Yep! I do it every time I'm in the area! It's like a tradition at this point. I was actually hoping I could find a delivery job to the floating isles once I got to the big city," said Yukari with a grin. She glanced at her Dragonfly. "Of course, I'd have to repair this thing first."

"Oh…yeah…"

"Hey, don't get too down now. As soon as the smoke clears, I'll get right on it, and then you can have your field back," Yukari declared optimistically.

"Um, right…"

"Speaking of which, how can I repay you for all this?"

"For all what?"

"You know! The tea, the macaroons, you graciously letting me stay here until I can get back in the air; I have to pay you back somehow."

"Hmm," considered Ia, "Just keep telling me stories about all the places you've seen!"

Yukari giggled. "Now that, I can do."

* * *

The days passed in peace as Yukari repaired her Dragonfly, her one week estimate passing quickly. Though she had been content to live in the remnants of her machine, Ia had insisted she stay in the house with her, loaning her a cot and a spare blanket. Every morning, Ia would make them breakfast, over which Yukari would regale her with tales of her exploits. Then the aviatrix would head outside to work while Ia stitched and threaded, creating clothes and textiles for her customers. Once dinner rolled around, they would stop their work and Ia would show Yukari the simple pleasures of her homely lifestyle, walking around the nearby forest and picking flowers by the brook. They would sleep, and the cycle would begin anew.

* Day 5 *

"Yukari!" called Ia with a hint of uncertainty. "Please don't run off!"

Ia enjoyed these late walks in the forest, doubly so ever since Yukari had joined her. And for the first few days, Ia had done her best to be a gracious guide, showing off the flora and fauna with the expertise of a local while Yukari listened interestedly. But on the fifth day, Ia finally discovered that the windrider's adventurous spirit was not one for sitting still, and Yukari quickly proved this by running off as things caught her eye.

"But look at the hollow in this tree!" replied Yukari, admiring the natural formation. "It looks like a good spot for hiding treasure, don't you think?"

Ia hummed in contemplative thought as she gazed at the hollow. "No," she said, settling on an answer, "I don't think that would a good idea."

Yukari tossed her a questioning glance and Ia shied back slightly, her eyes turning to the ground. "It's just…" she trailed. "The hole should be used as a home for Mr. and Mrs. Owl, I think."

A light giggle played from Yukari's lips. She supposed Ia would be the type of person to personify animals. "Of course," she said, "Silly me."

"Um, it was a nice thought, but the hollow is too big for owls to not take notice of it," said Ia. "So if you just found something smaller, that would probably be okay to use and wouldn't disturb anyone."

"But are you sure it's big enough to hold two owls?" asked Yukari curiously. "It looks like it might be a bit cramped for any more than one."

Ia gave a small shrug. "I think they would find a way to make it work."

Yukari hummed musically in thought. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she said. "Where there's a will, there's definitely a way."

"So… shall we return to the path?"

Yukari laughed. "You sure like your paths, don't you?"

"There's something I wanted to show you," said Ia.

Ia walked back the way they came, Yukari trailing behind her. She knelt at the edge of a mess of brambles and shrubbery, gently pulling back the layers of greenery to reveal the treasure underneath. Planted within the shadows of the underbrush was a single mushroom, an odd turquoise color peppered with pink luminescent polka dots. A small smile crept over her face, and it only widened when she caught sight of Yukari's awe.

"What is it?" asked Yukari.

"They're called Dustshrooms," answered Ia, happy to explain. "They're very rare, and very beautiful. They like to grow in dark and fertile places, and only one at a time. The glowing means it's ready to spread spores." Her smile turned wistful. "They only glow for a month, then the Dustshroom goes away. We're very lucky to be able to see this."

"How did you even find this?"

"Oh. Well, one day I found Ms. Turtle crawling along the forest floor, so I followed her. And Ms. Turtle led me right to here," Ia explained. "Then she walked along until she found a stream to swim in, so I said goodbye and went home."

Yukari's admiring eyes moved to Ia, before returning to the Dustshroom. "A turtle, huh?" murmured Yukari quietly.

Some time passed as the pair admired the Dustshroom, before Ia lowered the various branches and brambles she had raised. "Shall we continue?" she asked.

"Lead the way."

* Day 9 *

"Please can we go?" asked Yukari almost pleadingly. "I promise it'll be fun."

Ia hummed anxiously, her eyes glancing apprehensively at the village's 'steamed engine' Yukari seemed so enamored with. "But it doesn't look safe," said Ia with concern.

Yukari shook her head. "It's absolutely safe," she promised. "You just have to keep your hands, feet, and head in the car at all times."

A few days after the episode with the Dustshroom, Yukari had decided she needed some extra parts and Ia had volunteered to take her to the village. Though the village didn't have much in the way of spare Dragonfly parts, Yukari had been able to make do with what they had on hand, bundling up her parts in a neat little package.

Of course, trying to find such things inevitably led to Ia showing off their local technological marvel, the train, a wonder that Yukari had apparently been introduced to quite some time ago. Ia wasn't surprised, but it had been ever so slightly disheartening. Still, she had taken it in stride when Yukari took over the lecture, talking about everything from its rail tracks to its insides. And then she suggested they ride in it.

"I…" Ia squirmed. "I just don't think it's a good idea," she finished lamely, looking to the ground.

Yukari's eager smile from earlier had disappeared completely now, and she came closer to her gracious host, concern on her face. "Hey," she started gently, "What's wrong?"

"It's just… Whenever the train moves, it's always really loud. Loud noises make me uncomfortable." Yukari hummed in thought, and when she didn't say anything Ia took that as her cue to continue. "Out here, loud noises usually mean there's a dangerous wild animal nearby, or maybe there's a fire that needs to be put out." She shrugged. "They've never really meant anything good."

"I see," remarked Yukari with interest. "It's almost like the opposite in the big city. Loud noises mean things are getting done and people are working. Quiet only comes at night, and even then it's never completely silent." She chuckled. "Or at least, that's what I gather. I'm never in the big city for that long."

"You're not?"

"Nope!" affirmed Yukari. "I had enough of city life when I was growing up. It's not the same as the _big_ city, of course, but I like to see life beyond a city, sort of like expanding your horizons, you know?" She made to gesture around them. "And I have to say, a village is a nice change of pace."

Ia thought on Yukari's words. She herself never really had the desire to be worldly. Growing up in this village fostered such a mindset, especially since they seldom had any noteworthy communication with more populous hamlets beyond simple trade. The train was the biggest thing to arrive in the village within recent memory, Yukari's Dragonfly not included, and they only used it sparingly. Like Ia, most villagers were anxious around the train, and that suited them just fine.

But Ia couldn't help but admire Yukari for her intrepidness, particularly her courage in seeking out the unknown. Ia was fairly certain she wouldn't be able to handle any interruption in daily life nearly as well. She frowned as her thoughts trailed back to the Dragonfly parked in her field. She seemed to be handling this interruption decently. Perhaps Yukari had a point.

"Ia?" asked Yukari. "You spaced out there for a bit. Are you okay?"

Ia blinked to clear her mind. "Oh. Yes. I was just thinking."

Yukari giggled. "I guess you really like to think things through, huh?"

"I suppose so," remarked Ia. "Um… So would you happen to know how to… make a train move?"

"Sure do!" said Yukari with a nod. "Believe it or not, a steam engine is just a stripped down Dragonfly without all the complications of flight and direction thrown in. There's no need to worry about altitude maintenance, pitch and yaw, having to calculate approach vectors and deceleration coefficients…" She paused as Ia's eyebrows furrowed in that little way that signified she didn't understand. "That is, yes," she concluded almost sheepishly, "I can drive a train."

"Oh. Well, if you like, we could probably borrow the train, as long as we promise to bring it back. It doesn't get used very often anyway."

"Really?" exclaimed Yukari in genuine surprise. "Wow, everyone here must be really trusting!"

"Do they not have borrowing in cities?" asked Ia with mild alarm. What kind of a place refused to let others borrow? Were the people in cities just that callous?

"No, no," explained Yukari, "They do, it's just a bit more complicated." She smiled indulgingly. "Why don't we go ask if we can borrow the engine and I'll explain on the way?" Ia nodded in agreement as they began walking.

As Ia expected, they were able to borrow the steam engine without hassle, and Yukari quickly ushered her into the little cabin at the back of the engine, because apparently that's where the science happened. She was apprehensive, but focused her nervous energies on Yukari's enthusiasm, noting with wonder how the aviatrix practically flew around the small interior, pulling cranks and turning knobs and adjusting levers.

A loud hiss startled her from her observing. "What was that?" she asked nervously.

"It's okay," Yukari explained, "That's perfectly normal behavior for a steam engine." She smiled reassuringly. "Think of it like a noise you would make when you first wake up in the morning."

"Okay," accepted Ia uncertainly.

Yukari continued to work the machinery, the hissing settling into a quieter background noise, before her hand came to rest on a final lever, a small frown on her face. "Once I pull this lever, we'll be moving," she said. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Ia nodded. "I trust you," she said.

Yukari's expression turned noticeably happier. "Okay then," she grinned, "Here we go."

The initial movement startled Ia, and she squeaked before a hand reached out to steady her, holding her firmly but gently as the engine got up to speed. Unsure of where to look, she kept her gaze to the floor, focusing on the hand intertwined with her own.

"Sorry about that," said Yukari, "I forgot to mention you should probably hold on to something."

Eventually though, standing felt normal to Ia once more, and she looked around to see the landscape moving by out the open windows, a windy breeze whipping through her hair. "Wow," she breathed. "It's so… different."

"I know what you mean," agreed Yukari. "Everything seems different when you're passing it this quickly. It's practically a new perspective of life."

Ia couldn't help but agree. "Why is it so windy?"

Yukari smiled, and launched into another explanation about physics and movement, tailored to suit the tailor's understanding. Though Ia was rapt at attention, a part of her couldn't help but fixate on the warmth still clasped in her hand.

* Day 16 *

"And rainbows were practically falling out of caves!" said Yukari excitedly, gesturing her hands in an arc. "If it wasn't for the way they shimmered in the light I would have thought they were solid."

"How large were they?" asked Ia, held in rapt attention.

Yukari hummed, pondering. "I never got to see where they ended," she said, "But I imagine they went all the way to the base." The previous week's breakfasts had been dedicated to Yukari's various recollections of the Crackling Canyon. Today, Yukari had decided to tell of her adventure on Miracle Mountain.

Ia tried to imagine this marvelous place of light reflecting crystalline waterfalls and caves lined with rainbow foliage. Despite her mind's pretty picture, she was certain her imagination simply couldn't do it justice. "I wish I could be there, if only for a while," she remarked wistfully.

"You never know. Maybe on day you will be," replied Yukari with a smile. She noticed their dishes, once filled with food, were now empty. "I guess breakfast is over, huh?"

"Oh, yes. Let's clean up."

Cleaning up breakfast was never a lengthy chore, and with Yukari to help, it always seemed to go by quicker than if Ia was alone. Once the task was complete, Yukari donned her work outfit and prepared to continue yesterday's repairs. The aviatrix frowned as she looked down at one of her gloves, noticing one of the seams was coming loose. After a basic inspection, along with some experimental tugging, she concluded the glove was still serviceable.

But Ia noticed the delay in the usual routine. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Everything's fine," replied Yukari with a reassuring smile. "One of my gloves is just getting a bit worn. Nothing to worry over."

"Let me fix it," said Ia, holding a hand out.

"Hmm? Oh, you don't have to. It'll still protect my hand just fine." Yukari waved her gloved hand around to demonstrate. "See?"

Ia frowned. "But if you don't take care of it, it will break and be harder to fix later."

"I don't want to trouble you over something as little as this. And I can always get a new pair later."

"But I want to help," pleaded Ia. "I may not be able to fix the Dragonfly, but I can mend a glove or two. Please let me help?"

Yukari blinked, seemingly taken aback. "Okay," she said, holding out her hand.

Ia smiled, taking Yukari's hand in hers. She removed the damaged glove, noting how especially warm Yukari's hand felt in hers, just like it did that day on the steam engine. She turned to her sewing kits, completely missing the trace of pink on the aviatrix's face.

* * *

And the days would continue as such, turning into weeks, almost turning into months.

Every now and again, in between working on her sewing, Ia would look up from her work and gaze out the window at her unexpected guest, her eyes wide and curious as Yukari worked. Sometimes she mended the outer shell and patched up the wiring. Sometimes she pounded away at a warped piece of metal to force it into its original shape. Sometimes she disappeared inside the thing, periodically emerging to hurl scrap metal and piping into a pile at the foot of the machine.

At the end of the day, after Yukari had washed herself in Ia's bathtub, the aviatrix would give her a thumbs up. "One more step closer to freeing your field!" she'd report.

And Ia would smile, happy that Yukari would soon be able to fly again. As the days went by, the Dragonfly was slowly nursed back to health from the wreck it had been only a few short weeks ago.

* * *

The stitching of needle and thread in hand held Ia's attention, the seamstress idly humming a nameless tune while she worked the cloth between her fingers. She folded the soft, velvety violet material before beginning another seamline, making sure she had sewn enough layers to provide adequate warmth. When she reached the end of the cloth, she cut the thread and held out the long textile to examine it.

A clanging noise sounded from outside, and Ia turned her gaze out the window to see Yukari gathering up the scrap parts of her Dragonfly into the barrel the two had gotten from the village a few days ago. Yukari looked exhausted, if the dirt and smudges on her face were any indication. After all, they hadn't been there this morning.

But the Dragonfly looked well. Ia was by no means an expert, but she was fairly certain Yukari's progress was nearly complete. Even the outside had a healthy sheen to it, almost like it was recovering from an illness. But as accompaniment to the recovery of the flying contraption, Ia began to feel a knot building in her stomach. And she wasn't sure why.

It wasn't as if her life had changed that dramatically. The fires from the crash had died out long ago, so it probably wasn't anything smoke related. Her diet and hygienic habits had been maintained with the usual dedication, so sickness was probably out of the question. And really, the only thing to have happened was her gaining a new friend, and friends wouldn't cause these pains, now would they? They simply wouldn't be friends otherwise.

But regardless of why, the stomach knot kept coming every time she looked outside and thought about Yukari leaving. Perhaps this was the reason? If Yukari left, she would undoubtedly return to her normal life, which really wasn't all that different than it was now. If that happened, would the pain remain? She certainly hoped not. But perhaps it was too early to assume Yukari and her leaving was responsible. Yukari was a windrider, yes? Maybe that had something to do with it. Maybe stomach knots were the package Yukari had been delivering and they had gotten out of their box!

…But that sounded rather ridiculous if Ia thought about it. Why would anyone mail stomach knots anyway?

No, that possibility was out of the question. Perhaps Yukari would know. She was smart, and she seemed to be an expert at fixing things. Maybe there was something she could do about it. Yes, that was it. Ia resolved to ask Yukari about her knot as soon as she could.

* * *

The chance to ask Yukari came sooner than Ia anticipated. It was barely midmorning when Yukari came into the house, asking Ia to follow her outside for a moment. The sun was high in the sky, illuminating the copper and gold shell of the Dragonfly in all its glory. Yukari stepped beside her machine and spread her arms out wide.

"Ta da! I hereby present to you the newly-repaired, newly-repainted Dragonfly!"

Ia clapped enthusiastically, eyes wide as saucers. Yukari basked in the attention, making victorious poses for a fake crowd until Ia's claps finally stopped.

"So… it'll fly now?" asked Ia.

"Yep!" Yukari said, nodding. "All I have to do is strap in, start the engine, adjust the steam flows, check the gauges for correct pressure and temperature…" Yukari trailed off as she contemplated the finer points of the machine's startup procedure. "Well. It'll fly when I want it to. I promise."

"Wow."

"And it's all thanks to you, Ia. Thank you."

Ia blinked at the unexpected praise. "Me? But… I didn't really do anything."

"Of course you did!" insisted Yukari. "Even if you didn't actually do anything to the Dragonfly, don't you remember all the ways you helped?"

"Well…"

"Trust me when I say you did a lot more than you think. Just by being you."

"I… you're welcome, I suppose."

"Yep. And I can set off anytime," remarked Yukari with a nervous smile.

Suddenly, Ia's stomach pain returned. "Yeah," she agreed.

The two stared at each other in silence. Well, this was probably the best time to ask about her stomach hurting, wasn't it? But before Ia could open her mouth, Yukari spoke first.

"Say, Ia…"

"Yes?"

"Would you consider coming with me?"

Ia gasped in surprise. "W-What?"

"Would you like to see the world? At my side?"

Ia blinked, and a hundred memories of the past several days rushed by in a blur. For some reason, she only focused on one. "But I thought you said it could only fit one person?"

"Well, I actually spent quite a bit of time redesigning and rebuilding the interior of it to fit two people. That's actually why it took as long as it did," Yukari admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I mean, you seemed to really like all my stories a whole lot, so… I thought… Maybe… " Failing to find words, Yukari sighed and tried again. "Ia, I like you. A lot. And I'm fairly certain you like me the same way. I want you to see the things I've seen." Yukari extended a hand to Ia. "With… with me."

"Really? You want me to go with you?"

"Yes. Yes I do."

And just like that, Ia's stomach knot disappeared. Really, there was only one thing to say. She smiled a brilliant beam of bliss as she gently clasped Yukari's hand in her own, eliciting a blush from the aviatrix. "I'd love to."

And so, after getting a few final affairs in order, Yukari and Ia crammed into the interior of the flying machine and set off into clear, blue skies. As they rode the wind, they saw things beautiful and wondrous, spectacles they would remember for the rest of their lives, and together, they were happy.

.

**AN: If anyone's curious, the reason I revised this story was because I submitted this story for a writer's workshop session, and I got some tips on how to make this a better story overall. Essentially, these tips boiled down to A: 'This story is supposed to be a romance, but it's really not', and B: 'Talk more about the world because we like it and want to know more'. And that's what I focused on. Honestly, it's both funny and sad when your audience doesn't know you're trying to ship your characters, even though they have absolutely no reason to. **


End file.
